Arkansas will roll out a new coach when Tennessee football hosts the Razorbacks on Oct. 11 at Neyland Stadium.
The Razorbacks fired Sam Pittman and appointed offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino the interim coach on Sept. 28.
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Pittman, a former Vols assistant, went 32-34 in six seasons. The Razorbacks are 2-3 this season following a 56-13 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 27. Arkansas also lost close games to Ole Miss (41-35) and Memphis (32-31). The latter included Arkansas blowing an 18-point lead and fumbling on the final possession inside the Memphis 10-yard line.
Pittman was the Tennessee offensive line coach from 2012-15. He held the associate head coach title from 2013-15 on Butch Jones’ staff after he was initially hired by Derek Dooley.
Petrino, who was the Arkansas coach from 2008-11, has been on the Arkansas staff since Nov. 2023 as offensive coordinator. He was 34-17 as the head coach with a 10-win season in 2010 and an 11-win season in 2011.
Petrino’s tenure ended in scandal. He was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in northwest Arkansas in April 2012. He initially told university officials he was alone on the motorcycle, but he had a passenger on the vehicle with him. The passenger was Jessica Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player and athletics department staffer with whom Petrino was having an affair. He had not disclosed to relationship with university officials.
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Then-athletics director Jeff Long fired Petrino for his actions before and after the crash.
HOT BOARD Arkansas football coach hot board with Bobby Petrino and other candidates to replace Sam Pittman
Petrino has been the head coach at Western Kentucky, Louisville and Missouri State. He joined Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M staff as the offensive coordinator for the 2023 season.
Petrino fired defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams and co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Marcus Woodson on Monday, Sept. 29,
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Pittman fired as Arkansas coach, Bobby Petrino in before Tennessee
